Ken Norton, the man broke who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw, dies aged 70 - Telegraph Boxing Ken Norton, the man broke who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw, dies aged 70 Ken Norton, the former World Boxing Council heavyweight boxing champion who defeated Muhammad Ali in 1973, died Wednesday at a hospital in Arizona where he had been undergoing rehabilitation since suffering a stroke last year. One of the greats: Ken Norton had an epic three match battle with Muhammad Ali Photo: EPA Follow He was 70 and had congestive heart failure. Norton belonged to a golden era of heavyweight boxers, and enjoyed fame and fortune. Norton was the second fighter to beat ‘The Greatest’ at his peak, with Joe Frazier having beaten Ali in 1971. In a trilogy of fights with Ali, famously, Norton broke Ali’s jaw in round eleven of their first fight, for which he became legendary, and then lost in a rematch to Ali later in 1973 and then in 1976. Ali officially won both return bouts narrowly, although many felt Norton truly deserved to get the decision their third fight, at Yankee Stadium in New York in 1976.

Related Articles Mayweather judge defends herself 16 Sep 2013 In 1978, Norton won the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship when Leonard Spinks chose not to fight him, but went on to lose the crown to Larry Holmes by one point in a split decision in June that year. It is widely regarded as one of the top 10 heavyweight fights of all time. &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Lennox Lewis - R.I.P. Ken Norton - Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champ. Prayers from my family to his. Bless!&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; Norton finished with a record of 42-7-1 with 33 knockouts, then becoming an actor, appearing in over 20 movies and working in popular series such as The A Team. &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Mike Tyson - Today a great man passed away. A legend in the boxing world and a good man.

Condolences to Ken Norton's family on this very sad day.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; One of his sons, Ken Norton Jr., was a star linebacker at UCLA who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL and is now coach to for the Seattle Seahawks. Muhammad Ali's Jaw Broken by Norton This Day in Boxing March 31, 1973 - YouTube Muhammad Ali's Jaw Broken by Norton This Day in Boxing March 31, 1973 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Mar 30, 2015 This Day in Boxing March 31, 1973 Muhammad Ali Loses to Ken Norton. Norton breaks Ali's jaw.

Follow Boxing Hall of Fame Ken Norton, the man who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw, dies at 70 Ken Norton, the man who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw, dies at 70 hidden Sep, 19 2013 07:48:57 IST #Boxing #Ken norton #Muhammad ali #Newstracker #Sports Ken Norton, the former heavyweight boxing champion who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in a 1973 bout, died on Wednesday at a hospital in Arizona, according to his manager. Norton, 70, who died in Bullhead City, Arizona, had been suffering from congestive heart failure, said Patrick Tenore, the boxer's corporate manager and friend. "He's been in rehab (for ill health) for almost a year … and early this afternoon, he passed away," Tenore said. "He was not only a tremendous boxer, but also the most righteous, polite, generous human being." File photo of the Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton bout in 1973. AP Norton took up boxing as a heavyweight when he was serving in the U.S.

Marine Corps, and turned professional after his release from duty in 1967, according to ESPN. A power puncher, he broke Ali's jaw during their first fight in 1973, claiming the North American Boxing Federation heavyweight title in a split decision over 12 rounds. Ali narrowly won a split decision in a rematch nearly six months later, and held on to his heavyweight title in a bruising third encounter in 1976. Norton won a heavyweight title eliminator the following year, and was subsequently declared champion by the World Boxing Council. He lost the title in 1978 in an epic 15-round fight with Larry Holmes. Norton retired in 1981. He ended his career with a record of 42 wins, seven losses and a draw. He had 33 knockouts.

Reuters One Punch: How Ken Norton Became a Boxing Legend in a Single Night | Bleacher Report One Punch: How Ken Norton Became a Boxing Legend in a Single Night By Jonathan Snowden , Combat Sports Senior Writer Sep 19, 2013 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Rick Stewart/Getty Images 17 Comments Muhammad Ali 's cornerman, Wali Muhammad, didn't see the punch that broke the former champion's jaw during his March 1, 1973, fight with Ken Norton. Nobody did. Watching tape of the fight, there is no decisive blow, no jaw-dropping moment to rewind and replay frame by frame. But though he didn't see the blow, there was no denying the blood. Wali had lived a full life, improbably an assistant to both Sugar Ray Robinson and Malcolm X before joining Ali's camp in 1965 , and he had seen a lot of things—but never anything quite like this. "I was taking out the mouthpiece and there was more and more blood on it," he told Ali's biographer Thomas Hauser in Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. "My bucket with the water and ice in it became red.

In every other fight, between rounds, I’d take the mouthpiece out and put it in the bucket and there was just slobber on it. But here, after each round, I had to shake the mouthpiece to get all the blood out of it into the water.” Norton, who died Wednesday at age 70 , was the unheralded challenger. A Joe Frazier sparring partner who had never beaten a top-10 opponent, he was supposed to be a mere tune-up fight. Derisively called "Ken Somebody" by Sports Illustrated and a "tailor-made" fall guy by legendary announcer Howard Cosell , Norton was a 5-1 stepping stone , just another opponent to kill time, while Ali worked out a bout with champion George Foreman. He wasn't expected to put up a fight. Despite standing 6'3" and possessing the sculpted muscles normally only seen in marble, the former Marine was considered an easy target. And yet, by the sixth round, it was clear: Norton wasn't just winning, but he didn't even know he was supposed to be intimidated by the great Ali. Rick Stewart/Getty Images Ken Norton in 2011.

As the fight progressed, Wali Muhammad wasn't the only one seeing red. Ali's lawyer, now-legendary promoter Bob Arum, was negotiating to fight Foreman for a prize between $6-10 million . Norton, round after miserable round, was ruining things. In the stands, Frazier watched the fight with glee he couldn't disguise. He had beaten Ali to claim the undisputed world championship before Foreman took it from him in turn, but bad blood lingered. Ali had taken Norton lightly, even showing up at a training session and declaring his opponent an "amateur." Frazier had sparred hard rounds with Norton and knew otherwise. Though an Ali loss could have cost him millions, he had a smile on his face as Norton, improbably, shocked the world. Inspired by a hypnotist and a self-help book entitled Think and Grow Rich, Norton possessed an unusual confidence and equally unusual technique. As the fight wore on, it became clear Ali wasn't prepared for it. "He had that awkward style, where he'd shoot his jab up from the waist, and it was very unusual," Ali's former business manager, Gene Kilroy, told Yahoo! Sports .

"Most guys throw the jab from the shoulder, and that always gave Ali trouble." While Sports Illustrated thought Norton's style crude , but vibrant, Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, knew there was a method to his madness. "With that lurching, herky-jerky, splay-footed movement of his, you just couldn't time him," he told ESPN . The Ali vs. Norton Trilogy Date 19,000 boxrec For much of the fight, Ali didn't even try, concerned more with avoiding the fight than throwing many punches of his own. With his jaw in shambles and the fight slipping away, it was Norton, not Ali, who began to talk. "You're nothing," he told the former champion as a right hand bounced off Ali's skull. Ali, never one to keep his thoughts to himself, remained silent. "He didn't have a punch at all," Norton told the press after the fight , taking two of three judge's scorecards and announcing himself as an immediate player in the heavyweight division after years on the outside looking in. Before the Ali bout, Norton's biggest payday had been a paltry $8,000 .

In his previous fight, he had made just $300 . With the win over Ali, that was all about to change. However, not everyone was impressed. Writing in The New York Times, sports columnist of record Red Smith thought Ali was all but done: Ali was overweight at 221 pounds and probably overconfident, though with an ego the size of his it is hard to gauge complacency. It was a measure of Ali's deterioration that Norton didn't look especially impressive whipping him, didn't have to. Cosell echoed those sentiments and called for Ali's retirement. Ali, who had entered the ring in a rhinestone-encrusted white robe given to him by Elvis Presley , the future bright, left with his career very much in question. "Funny, the jaw didn't hurt so much in the fight," Ali later told Sports Illustrated's Tex Maule . "Under all the heat and the excitement, you don't feel it. Like a man in a street fight. He get cut in the stomach, fights on with his guts hangin' out and don't feel nothin' until he gets to the hospital." His surgeon recalled things differently. After wiring Ali's jaw shut, Dr.

Gary Manchester told the media , "It was a very bad break. The bone which was broken had three or four jagged edges. The edges kept poking into his mouth. He had so much pain during the fight that he's totally exhausted right now." Norton's trainer, Eddie Futch, a man who previously led Frazier to a win over the seemingly unbeatable Ali, thought he had the legend's number. "He has serious deficiencies which his speed enables him to overcome, like a pretty girl being able to overcome the fact she's not smart," Futch told Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray . "He never learned to respect his trade because he never had to. When he loses his speed even journeyman fighters will beat him." Those words would prove prescient at the end of Ali's career, but not soon enough to help Norton—or Frazier. Ali would go on to win two fights from each man, ending his career as the greatest of all time. But though he lost two in a row to Ali, Norton proved his win was no fluke. Ali had to work to earn it.

"Never trained more than three weeks for Liston, never trained more than three weeks for Frazier," Ali told Sports Illustrated's Mark Kram before his second bout with Norton. "Been up here now 14 weeks." When the fight, held in Inglewood just six months later, was over, Ali left his customary trash talk behind, at least for an honest moment with Philadelphia Daily News reporter Tom Cushman. “Ken Norton is the best man I’ve ever fought," Ali said . "He is better than Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry, Sonny Liston—any of them.” Norton would go on to challenge George Foreman for the world championship in 1974, and his 1978 bout with Larry Holmes is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight fights ever. But despite all his accomplishments, it was never better than that magical night he tussled with, and beat, the best in the world. Jonathan Snowden is Bleacher Report's Lead Combat Sports Writer and the author of Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting.

Ken Norton dies: former heavyweight champ famed for breaking Mohammad Ali's jaw dies aged 70 | Daily Mail Online comments Former world heavyweight champion Ken Norton, who broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw when they fought in 1973, has died at the age of 70. Norton, who passed away from heart failure at a Las Vegas nursing home, had been in poor health after a series of strokes. The former US marine, who was only the second man to ever beat Ali, had an unconventional boxing style that saw him rise through the ranks to battle some of the era’s greatest fighters, including George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Larry Holmes. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ken Norton breaks Muhammed Ali's jaw in San Diego, 1973 No longer with us: Ken Norton, left, and Larry Holmes battle in 1978 for the WBC heavyweight championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. His famous victory over Ali, which came at the height of the champion’s dominance of the sport, was followed by two further bouts, becoming one of the great rivalries in boxing history. Norton lost both rematches, but only by the slimmest of margins each time.

Norton’s unorthodox style – coming in close and jabbing from below rather than above, and using a cross-armed defence – took many of his opponents by surprise. He was eventually crowned the World Boxing Council’s champion in 1977, but only because the holder, Leon Spinks, decided to fight Ali instead of facing Norton, who was the mandatory challenger. He lost his title by just one point to Larry Holmes in a famously bruising 15-round heavyweight title fight in 1978, which has gone down as one of the greatest bouts in boxing history. The defeat effectively ended Norton’s career and he switched to acting, appearing in some 20 films and episodes of the TV series Knight Rider and The A-Team. Smash!: Muhammad Ali, right, winces as Ken Norton hits him with a left to the head during their 1973 re-match He was almost killed in a car crash in 1986 and wore a fedora to hide the scars. Mike Tyson, who visited Norton in hospital before his death, said: ‘Ken Norton was always nice to me even when I was just an amateur fighter. He always treated me like I was somebody.

Remarkable man.’ Wham!: Muhammad Ali, right, takes a hard left from Ken Norton during their 1973 re-match - Norton won their first fight, and famously broke Ali's jaw Ali's former business manager Gene Kilroy said Norton had been in poor health for the last several years after suffering a series of strokes. 'He's been fighting the battle for two years,' he said. 'I'm sure he's in heaven now with all the great fighters. I'd like to hear that conversation.' Focused: Ken Norton, right, follows through with his right against Larry Holmes misses during their heavyweight championship fight in Las Vegas. Kilroy also revealed Ali and Norton never had any animosity toward each other and became good friends over the years. Still, Norton always thought he had won all three fights. His son Ken Norton Jr was a linebacker for 13 years in the NFL, playing for Dallas and San Francisco, and coaches the position for the Seahawks. He and his father were estranged for a time in the 1990s before finally reconciling. Norton always gave his father credit for his career, saying he learned how to train hard by watching him go for early morning runs when he was a child.

The biggest of stages: Ken Norton, left, and heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali trade right punches in the late rounds of their 1976 title fight in New York's Yankee Stadium 'It's been noted that my father and I are on speaking terms and everything's back together now,' Norton Jr. said in 1995. 'It's part of what I do. No matter what I do, I can't get away from boxing.' Norton, was born on August 9, 1943, in Jacksonville, Illinois, started boxing when he was in the US marines, and began his pro career after his release from duty in 1967. He lost only once in his early fights but had fought few fighters of any note when he was selected to meet Ali. At the time, Ali was campaigning to try to win back the heavyweight crown he lost to Joe Frazier in 1973. After that bruising first bout, they faced off two more times, including the final fight at Yankee Stadium on a night when police were on strike and many in the crowd feared for their safety. The fight went 15 rounds and Ali won a decision.

Later in life: Former boxer Ken Norton arrives for the 2001 premiere of the film "ALI" at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood Norton was badly injured in a near fatal car accident in 1986. He recovered but never regained his full physical mobility. 'The doctors said I would never walk or talk,' Norton said at an autograph session in 2011 in Las Vegas, lifting his trademark fedora to show long surgical scars on his bald head. Kilroy said Norton was visited at the hospital by former fighters, including Tyson, Earnie Shavers and Thomas Hearns. Norton fought only five more times after losing his title to Holmes. His final fight came November 5, 1981, when he was knocked out in the first round by Gerry Cooney at Madison Square Garden.

Just over a year ago: Ken Norton poses on the red carpet at the Feb 2012 Keep Memory Alive ìPower of Love Galaî fundraiser honoring Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas The Marine Who Became A Legend After He Broke Ali’s Jaw The Marine Who Became A Legend After He Broke Ali’s Jaw July 28, 2015 T&P on Facebook Ken Norton began his boxing career in the military, but his life took a dramatic turn when he fought Muhammad Ali and won. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Kenneth Howard Norton was a single dad, living in Los Angeles, caring for his son, and struggling to make ends meet. He got up early every morning to run, then make breakfast for his son, Ken Norton Jr., before heading to the Ford plant where he worked, only to punch out of one job, and literally punch into the other. Norton was a fighter, in more ways than one. Boxing was the way out for Norton, who spent his early 20s chasing his lucky break.

That break came in 1973, when he stepped into the ring against Muhammad Ali, and won, busting Ali’s jaw in the process, and earning the nickname “The Jawbreaker.” At the time, Ali had only been defeated once before, by Joe Frazier in 1971. Norton and Ali would go on to fight two more times, a total of 39 rounds, trading punch for punch, with Norton defeating Ali once, and losing two incredibly close matches. Norton was a warrior long before then, turning heads with his unorthodox style, and went on to become the world heavyweight champion from 1977 to 1978. But, before all of that, he was a United States Marine. AP Photo Ken Norton, right, and Larry Holmes battle for the WBC heavyweight championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, June 9, 1978. Norton served in the Marines as a radioman from 1964 to 1967, which is where he began his boxing career.

Norton became a renowned fighter while in the Corps, with an amateur record of 24 wins to two losses and went on to fight in, and win, the All-Marine Heavyweight Championship three times. “In my mind, it was time for me to grow up and become a man. Before I entered the Marines, I was just a boy in a man’s body,” wrote Norton in his autobiography “Going the Distance.” In his book, Norton credited the Marines with instilling in him a sense of drive and purpose. It was in boot camp that Norton realized that through conviction and discipline even the toughest of challenges could be overcome. “What they actually were doing was tearing down the old Ken Norton by breaking down those bad habits while building up the new Marine Norton,” he wrote, referring to his first few weeks of boot camp. “You can’t rebuild something on a solid foundation without first tearing down the old. That is what the Marines did with me and it worked.” When Norton left the Marines in 1967, he was relatively unknown as a boxer, but before that could change, he had to train. The Marines gave him a start as a boxer, but to turn pro, Norton would have to work harder than he ever had before.

He found inspiration in his role as a father. “With a son to take care of, I reminded myself that every time I slacked off in training, I was cheating my son out of a better living,” he wrote in his autobiography. “That motivated me on days that were especially hard.” Six years after leaving the Marines, Norton had 29 wins and one loss, and it was then that he had his chance to meet Ali in the ring. Norton was a new face and putting him up against Ali, one of the best fighters of the day during his comeback tour, must have seemed a good idea to fight promoters and publicists. The fight was set and Norton was handed $50,000 — his life had suddenly changed. He had money in his pocket and a shot at one of the greatest fighters of the age. “The first thing I did was make a down payment on a tract house in a better neighborhood for me and my son,” said Norton, in a 1995 interview . “The second thing I did was quit my job at Ford. For the first time in my life, I could just train for a fight, go away for three weeks to a camp.

I was a real fighter.” He met Ali in the ring for the first time on March 31, 1973. The fight was advertised as “Draft Dodger vs. The Former Marine,” a title Norton attributes to Ali, who was renowned as much for his skill as his showmanship and ability to sell a fight. The match took place at the San Diego Sports Arena in Norton’s adopted hometown. Prior to the event, Ali injured his ankle during training, but refused to call off the fight, according to Ali’s former business manager, Gene Kilroy . “Ali said it’s not going to be that tough,” Kilroy said. He was wrong. Norton was physically fit and chiseled, yet critics called the 210 pound, 6 feet, 3 inches tall boxer ungainly, and his style awkward. However, he made it work for him. Norton didn’t follow the typical dance steps of other boxers, especially compared to the agile Ali who relied on speed and quick reflexes to bring down harder-hitting fighters. Norton was something different.

The media — and perhaps even Ali at the time — thought he was just a stepping stone for the famed fighter’s return to the ring, but nobody told Norton. He was an unexpected challenge in more ways than one. What set Norton apart from his opponents wasn’t just his physique, but his nontraditional style. Where other boxers would strike from the shoulders, Norton would charge head on, but his attack came from below. During their first fight, Norton unloaded on Ali, breaking his jaw. He proceeded to hound Ali for 12 brutal rounds before winning by split decision. Ali’s own trainer, Angelo Dundee, would later attest to the effectiveness of Norton’s style. “Kenny had a style that would give Muhammad Ali trouble every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I used to call Kenny the Hopalong Cassidy of boxing due to his unique style and rhythm,” Dundee is quoted in Norton’s autobiography. “He had a style that just put Ali off-kilter and kept him off balance.” After their match, Kilroy said that Norton visited Ali in the hospital where Ali praised his opponent’s skill, but never wanted to fight him again — which said a lot, considering Ali was never one to balk at a fight.

However, Ali and Norton went on to fight again in September of that year in a match that Norton lost. On Sept. 26, 1976, the two men met for a third and final time for a fight at Yankee Stadium — unofficially called Ali-Norton III — that would be considered one of the most controversial matches in boxing history. In an ESPN documentary called “Robbed,” Harold Lederman, one of the three judges of the match, said Norton fought exceptionally well in the first seven rounds, scoring most of the points. At the time, Ali was still the reigning heavyweight champion. The fight went 15 rounds and at the end, the commentators all agreed that Norton won the match. However, the three judges disagreed and scored the bout 8-6, 8-7 and 8-7, all in favor of Ali , who was still the reigning heavyweight champion at the time. “Ken Norton lost what should have been the classic moment in his career,” said Jerry Izenberg, who was covering the fight for the The Newark-Star Ledger. Throughout their close matches, there was never any animosity — even with the media hype surrounding their conflicting views on military service.

“The media and the public bought it hook, line and sinker, but I wasn’t offended when Muhammad Ali declined to serve in the military; quite the contrary,” wrote Norton in his autobiography. “I respected the fact that he spoke out against the Vietnam War because, after all, that was his right as a citizen of the United States.” As for Ali, he always respected Norton and his talent in the ring. “Ken Norton is the best man I’ve ever fought,” Ali said of Norton, after their second match in Inglewood, California, “He is better than Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry, Sonny Liston—any of them.” Courtesy of Wikimedia Creative Commons American actor Perry King encouraging American boxer and actor Ken Norton before a fight in the film “Mandingo.” (1975) Norton retired from boxing in 1981 with a record of 42 wins, including 33 knockouts, 7 losses and 1 draw. After his boxing career, he made a dramatic change, and went on to act in nine feature films , and made numerous appearances in others. Norton suffered a series of strokes later in life and died at age 70, on Sept.

18, 2013. Almost 40 years after his last fight with Ali, Norton is still remembered as the boxer and former Marine who shocked everyone when he broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw and won the match. Former heavyweight boxing champ Ken Norton dies at 70 | Reuters Wed Sep 18, 2013 | 10:38 PM EDT Former heavyweight boxing champ Ken Norton dies at 70 Former heavyweight boxer Ken Norton arrives for the 16th annual Keep Memory Alive ''Power of Love Gala'' and 70th birthday celebration for Muhammad Ali at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in this February 18, 2012 file photo. Reuters/Steve Marcus/files By Tim Gaynor | PHOENIX PHOENIX Ken Norton, the former heavyweight boxing champion who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in a 1973 bout, died on Wednesday at an Arizona hospital at age 70, his manager said. Norton, who died in Bullhead City, near the Arizona-Nevada border, had been suffering from congestive heart failure, said Patrick Tenore, the boxer's corporate manager and friend.

"He's been in rehab (for ill health) for almost a year … and early this afternoon, he passed away," Tenore told Reuters. "He was not only a tremendous boxer, but also the most righteous, polite, generous human being." Norton took up boxing as a heavyweight when he was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and turned professional after his discharge in 1967, according to ESPN. A power puncher, he burst on the scene in 1973 when he broke Ali's jaw during their first fight, claiming the North American Boxing Federation heavyweight title in a split decision over 12 rounds. Ali's camp said his jaw broke early in the fight, but Norton told a Reuters correspondent at a boxing convention in Cancun, Mexico, more than three decades later, that a punch thrown in the 11th round caused the fracture. Ali narrowly won a split decision in a rematch nearly six months later, and held on to his heavyweight title in a bruising third encounter in 1976. Norton won a heavyweight title elimination tournament the following year, and was subsequently declared champion by the World Boxing Council.

He lost the title in 1978 in an epic 15-round fight with Larry Holmes. Norton retired from the ring in 1981. He ended his career with a record of 42 wins, seven losses and a draw. He had 33 knockouts. He took on a second career as an actor, making more than a dozen television and film appearances, including the 1975 movie "Mandingo." His son Ken Norton, Jr., played in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. (Additional reporting by Edith Honan in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney) ADVERTISEMENT Ken Norton vs Muhammad Ali - Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw - YouTube Ken Norton vs Muhammad Ali - Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Sep 19, 2013 Ken Norton vs Muhammad Ali - Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw Ken Norton was a colossal figure in heavyweight boxing's greatest era Such is Muhammad Ali's standing in the sport of boxing that it is the lot of any man he shared a ring with to be defined by his greatness. But it is difficult for greatness to flourish in a vacuum. So those who remember Ken Norton as so much more than 'the man who broke Ali's jaw' should bear in mind it is preferable to be defined by another man's greatness than to pit your wits against nobody of note and remain ill-defined for all time. And while some have suggested it was Norton's bad luck to have fought in an age so rich in heavyweight talent, a more accurate portrayal of Norton is as a man shaped by the hands of many great men and therefore rendered great himself. Norton, who died on Wednesday at the age of 70, was a central player in heavyweight boxing's greatest era. Ali was undoubtedly the sun at its centre but Norton was one of the mightiest planets in the Ali solar system, a solar system in which the planets regularly collided and created fireworks for the masses.

Norton, a magnificent athletic specimen whom George Foreman called "the fairest of us all", rose to prominence with his defeat of Ali on 31 March, 1973. It was only Ali's second defeat - Joe Frazier inflicted his first in 1971 - but it further strengthened his claim to greatness: Where once Ali had dazzled, now he had proved his bravery beyond doubt, fighting with a snapped jaw for 10 rounds. "I took a nobody and created a monster and now I have to punish him bad," said Ali before the rematch six months later, dubbed 'The Battle of Broken Jaw'. But Ali was never able to work out the Norton puzzle. Throwing his jab from down by his waist rather than his shoulder and employing an unconventional cross-arm defence, Norton managed to make Ali look anything but 'The Greatest', bravery aside. Indeed, Norton could have beaten Ali three times. Instead, he lost the return on a split decision and was desperately unlucky to lose the rubber in September 1976, a fight most people watching thought he had won.

Norton was knocked out by Foreman in 1974 but stopped perennial contender Jerry Quarry in 1975 before narrowly outpointing Jimmy Young in an eliminator for the WBC title in 1977. At which point boxing politics conspired against him. Rather than defend against Norton, undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks gave Ali a rematch instead and relinquished the WBC belt. Therefore, Norton, born in the American city of Jacksonville, became the first man to win a heavyweight title outside the ropes when he probably would have beaten Spinks comfortably between them. In 1978, Norton was relieved of the WBC title in his first defence, when Larry Holmes narrowly outpointed him over 15 brutal rounds, before his boxing career petered out in that sad way they usually do. "I was never the same fighter after that," said Norton. "I never trained so hard again, never could put the same feeling into it.

I was at my best that night, in the best shape I ever was." A first-round knockout by Earnie Shavers was followed by a split-decision victory over the impossibly tough Randall Cobb and a first-round knockout by Gerry Cooney, the latest in a long line of 'great white hopes'. And that was that, as least as far as Norton's exploits in the ring were concerned, his final record reading 42 wins, seven losses and one draw, Having retired from the ring, Norton - handsome, charming, articulate - made a smooth transition to acting and broadcasting before a 1986 car crash left him with life-threatening injuries. "My head was split in two," he said. It was a measure of the man's character that he defied the doctors' prognoses and learned to walk and talk again. Then again, what kind of madman would have questioned his character in the first place? This man who stood tall in the greatest age of boxing giants, this man who broke 'The Greatest' of them all. Those boys in the 1970s needed plenty of lumps and bumps to validate their greatness but taken as a whole they make the current heavyweight scene look like virtual desolation.

What the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, would give for a Ken Norton now? A magnificent athletic specimen from the United States with hands to shape their greatness. Category Ken Norton dies aged 70 | Daily Mail Online comments Former heavyweight champion Ken Norton, who defeated Muhammad Ali, has died at the age of 70. Norton passed away in a care facility on Wednesday in Arizona after suffering congestive heart failure, his close friend and former manager Patrick Tenore has confirmed. Norton had been in poor health for several years and will be remembered for breaking Ali's jaw in their first of three fights in 1973, in which he went on to beat him in a split decision.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Norton break Muhammad Ali's jaw Icons: Ken Norton, who fought Muhammad Ali three times, has died at the age of 70 Head-to-head: Ali (right) winces as Norton catches him with a left hook to the head in the '73 re-match Losses: 7 Draws: 1 Ali narrowly won the second non-title fight encounter by a split decision six months later before he claimed a second victory over Norton on September 28, 1976, at the Yankee Stadium in New York to retain his heavyweight title. Tenore said: 'It was early this (Wednesday) afternoon. Ken got congestive heart failure and passed away. 'He was recovering from a stroke a year ago. To my shock his wife called me said he he had passed away. Legends: Norton (left), punched by Ali in 1976 in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York Rest in peace: Norton pictured last year, before his long-running health battle ended in heart failure 'He was a fighter. He fought a tough battle and we thought he was out of the woods. 'He was a warm and generous man.

He was a champion and a fighter and bright-eyed and anxious to see the next day and a dear friend of 20 years. 'Everyone will miss him. He never said a bad word about anyone.' Norton won the WBC heavyweight championship in 1977 when Leonard Spinks chose not to fight him, before he lost the title to Larry Holmes in a very close split decision in June the following year. Norton finished with a record of 42-7-1 and 33 knockouts. Simply the best: Norton watches Tina Turner skip rope in Las Vegas in 1977 Following his boxing career, Norton made several film and television appearances before he suffered a near-fatal crash in 1986 when his car veered off the on-ramp to the Santa Monica Freeway in Los Angeles. Despite being struck with ill health in later life, Tenore says Norton never blamed this on his professional boxing career, which began with a win over Grady Brazell in 1967 and ended with defeat against Gerry Cooney at Madison Square Garden in 1981. 'Ken Norton never blamed anyone for anything. He never had a bad word about boxing or any of his opponents.

This is a man you have never heard say an ill word about anybody,' Tenore said. Coming back: Norton weighing in ahead of his bout with Ali in 1976 'I used to tease him about his fights and say: 'You fought Ali three times and people joke and say you won the first one and Don King won the other two.' He said: 'No, Patrick, no. I was just beaten.' 'He never begrudged Mr Ali ever about winning those fights. He never begrudged boxing. He did have a speech impediment - in the 1980s his car went over a cliff in Los Angeles and a little girl caught it in the corner of her eye and called it in. He was in a coma for a year and he developed a speech impediment. 'I am travelling with him years after and people said: 'He's talking like he's punch-drunk.' I said: 'No, he's not punch-drunk. That was from an accident.' Tenore also believes Norton's boxing style will be remembered for pushing Ali all the way in their three fights.

Silver screen: Norton in Mandingo in 1975, with Susan George as Blanche in a scene from the film Taking the hits: Norton (left) and Larry Holmes do battle in 1978 He added: 'It did take Muhammad Ali by surprised but he (Norton) was very focused and a very tenacious and a great fighter. 'He was a very religious gentleman who was always kind to everyone.' Reigning WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward took to Twitter to express his condolences following Norton's death. He tweeted: 'Just heard about Ken Norton passing. Met him last year in the Bay Area. Great champion & great man.' George Foreman, a former two-time heavyweight champion, said on Twitter: 'They called us all handsome. Muhammad they called pretty. But The fairest of them all Ken Norton.' The World Boxing Council said: 'The WBC regrets the passing away of our former champion Ken Norton. May he rest in peace'. KEN NORTON - TIMELINE 1943: Born August 9, Jacksonville, Illinois.

1963: Starts boxing while in the United States Marine Corps, claiming a 24-2 record on the way to three All-Marine heavyweight titles. 1967: Turns professional and wins his first bout against Grady Brazell by knockout. 1968 - July 1970: Builds up a steady series of wins before he is beaten by Jose Luis Garcia on July 2, 1970. 1970: August: Beats Roy Wallace which heralds the start of a 14-fight unbeaten streak. 1973: March - Defeats Muhammad Ali in a split decision in San Diego to win the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) heavyweight champion title. Breaks Ali's jaw during the fight. September - Ali avenges the loss to Norton, but only just, beating him in a split decision in Inglewood, California. 1974: Fights George Foreman for the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles in Caracas, Venezuela, but the bout is stopped in the second round with Norton losing by TKO.

1975: Regains his NABF title with a fifth round TKO defeat of Jerry Quarry before avenging the loss to Garcia by knocking him out in the fifth round. 1976: Fights Ali for the third time at the Yankee Stadium in New York. The world title was on the line after Ali regained it with an eighth-round knockout of Foreman. Ali narrowly wins to retain his title. 1977: Defeats Jimmy Young before being awarded the WBC heavyweight title as Leon Spinks signs to fight Ali in a rematch instead of WBC ranked number one Norton. 1978: Loses his WBC title to Larry Holmes in Las Vegas in his first title defence to a split decision. 1981: Loses his last ever professional bout to Gerry Cooney at Madison Square Garden then announces his retirement. 1986: Suffers a near-fatal car crash which leaves him with slow and slurred speech. 1989: Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame. 2011: Following years of charity work, Norton begins to suffer from ill health. 2012: July - Suffers a debilitating stroke.

2013: September 18 - Passes away in a care facility in Arizona from congestive heart failure.

Question: Which boxer broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in 1973?
Answer: Ken Norton